KennythePirate’s October Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar with Dining and Fastpass+ Booking Dates

October 2014 Disney World Crowd Calendar, Fastpass+ Booking and Dining Windows and Best Times to Visit Disney World

Updated 8/11/2014

October starts off as a warm month and begins to cool off as the month goes along. It’s still in the high season for hurricanes, so be sure to check into travel insurance for your trip. We tend to see moderate rainfalls, but showers can happen any afternoon and some Halloween Parties experience rainfall. The crowds in October tend to be in the low to moderate range. The Halloween Parties are quite popular and sell out often on weekends and around Halloween.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival with the Eat to the Beat Concert Series will bring in some crowds, but nothing like Summer season or the big Holidays. The Columbus Day weekend is typically really busy, but can be managed with good TOURING PLANS and Fastpass+ usage. Mid-week Halloween Parties are generally the best if you’re vacationing here. It’s my opinion that everyone should experience the Halloween Party at least once. The lower crowds can also lead to Attraction Refurbishments that are typically not announced until summer. Be sure to check back during the summer months to see if anything has changed.

October is a great month as far as crowds are concerned and is among the best times to visit. Regardless of the times you can still enjoy the parks by going to a green park, arriving at least 45 minutes before rope drop.

I recommend the strategy of arriving early and taking a mid-afternoon break. Go for a swim with the kids and enjoy the pool, then take a nap of an hour or so before returning to a park for evening entertainment and rides.

What will the weather be like during your October trip?

October is in the median range in terms of temperature and rain. It’s still hurricane season, so be prepared. Late in the month may have some cooler nights, so bring a sweater.

Dress in light colors and wear comfortable shoes with socks that breathe. Bring a small, handheld fan for each child. Bring a poncho for each person and a stroller cover because there’s often afternoon thunderstorms in the summer.

Should I use Extra Magic Hours privilege?

Avoid the trap of visiting a park on its longest hours day. More people will be there and the wait times can be 30% to 100% higher than other days. The BEST day to visit the Magic Kingdom in terms of lines is a Halloween Party day. Many attractions are walk-on.

The Magic Kingdom will only offer Wishes and Main Street Electrical Parade on select nights each week. Those park days tend to be more busy than others. If the evening spectaculars are important, chose the day with the lowest hours or park hop into the Magic Kingdom at night.

If you are planning to use Extra Magic Hours, use the morning ones, they are a great benefit, if you leave after lunch or parade time. Avoid the parks that offer evening Extra Magic Hours because they have large crowds at night and many rides have long lines. If you choose a Late Extra Magic Hour park, you should plan to sleep in the next day.

Hello! Love your site, just signed up and paid yesterday! I’m looking forward to getting a reservation from “fetch” lol! I just have a question about the MNSSHP on Friday October 3rd. Why is that Friday party considered a light crowd party compared to the rest of the Friday’s in October? We are trying to decide if we should go the Oct 3rd party instead of Oct 10. We were there last year at the Thursday Oct 10th and thought is was crowded and I read on your site how that night was sold out last year. Thanks in advance!

Kenny,
What party would you suggest my boyfriend and I get tickets for? We will arrive on the 11th and leave on the 18th. We already have tickets for the 13th, but I’m wondering if Thursday or Friday would be better? Do you think I should try to switch to Friday? I was thinking that because it’s our last day and we want to spend the last day in MK. Help!

We will be there the week of Oct 20th, planning on visiting as follows, Mon = Epcot, Tues = AK, Wed = MK, Thurs = Epcot, Fri = MK . Seeing your calendar however makes me nervous about visiting MK on Wed since you’ve labeled it red. We have a 2 yr old, so my plan all along was to be at the park for opening and leave by 12, then returning after a 5 PM dinner at Ohana so that we can see fireworks and the parade. The only priorties for that day are Peter Pan, Small World, and Dumbo, and meeting Mickey after dinner. I know that with this being the only day that week with Wishes and the night parade we will see more volume than a Party day, but will we be okay with my basic plan? PS. Love following you along. This will be our first trip as a family (and I haven’t been in over 20 years) so I can’t wait!

Christina,
You’ll have a great time if you arrive before park open, use FP+ and return for evening spectaculars. You’ll have a great day. Your plan will work well. You’re going to have a great vacation.